Bar painting my frame and now the rear brake rod a nice glossy black progress has been slow as I have poured my concentration (and money!) into buying parts for the rebuild. New tank badges, coil, CDI unit, starter cable, starter solenoid and a host of other stuff too numerous to mention. I might just lay them all out and photograph them and then realise how much I've spent!

Still required are two tyres (tires), a battery, POR15 sealant for the tank and wire and connectors for the loom. About another £300 required! I've realised that if a job is worth doing it's worth doing well so money has had to be spent (and continues to be spent!) I've learned from my last rebuild that when buying on the Internet he who hesitates is lost as in 'Oo, I'll put that in favourites and look at it later' and then find that it has gone when I finally take the plunge and try to buy it. Strike while the iron is hot James!

Pictures soon and hopefully more progress on putting these expensive bits onto my frame and getting something that actually looks like a motorbike and not a collection of parts!

The lower half of the lower bearing that was still stuck to the bottom of the steering stem refusing to come off has finally been removed when I threatened it with the dremmel cutting disc, enabling me to then mask up the steering stem and paint it. Also, I just found out my new (to me) instrument pod has a mounting bracket which doesn't fit my mounting points, mine are wider. So I have to remove the bulb assembly and then fit them to my bracket which is more robust and then try to fit it all to the instrument pod and hope there is room for it all! Why can't it be a straight fit? I like the pod though, the one that came with the bike looks a bit two-dimensional by comparison!

Bracket mounting points not wide enough. Why do they have to be different?

Also, how do the bulbs come out of their holder? Do they pull out, do they twist out or do you have to push and twist out? Nothing I do will move them. They need to be replaced as none of them work.

Frame is now (hopefully) finished. I don't want a repeat of my CD200 three times painting it lark!

Collection of small parts painted an hour ago

And SOME of my ebay sourced parts.

The front socket is -1 tooth. I wanted some extra acceleration, not bothered about top speed so I hope this is the right way to go.
I have loads more parts just waiting to be bolted to the frame or connecting up. I dread to think what the cost is, and I still haven't finished buying parts. Tires are needed, rear chain, front fender, battery. It's endless . . . . . . . . . !

Mind you, the bike IS a keeper. Along with the 200 . . . . . . . . .

EDIT: The horns, by the way, are the very same, or nearly so, that I put on my RD200DX when I was 18. The original horn, like on this CB400, was pathetic and so I bought some twin-tone horns so that people would actually hear me. It worked a treat, more so as it nearly scared people witless they were that loud! Needless to say, when I tested these ones I nearly deafened myself!

To add to my list of 'to do' things one of the up-and-over garage door springs snapped today. I was happily spraying away painting parts when there was a loud 'doying' sound from the general direction of the door. I use the rear door to get into the garage, only opening the main door when I want to fire up the 200. Won't be happening for a while I can hardly raise the door halfway! The springs are 18 inches long and 2 inches wide and I haven't a clue where to get one from. Might try 6 bungee straps as a temporary measure to get the door open but it's just something else that MUST be done else my bikes are going nowhere!

The instrument pod I bought was useless as a speedo and tacho as both instruments were smashed badly at the rear. The plastic surround, though, had only a few scuffs which can be dealt with. I bought it for that reason, it's got more about it than the one I have so I gave it a quick sand, removing a lot of the scuff marks and then I used some plastic primer on it.

When the paint has dried it's time for some filler on what is still visible of the scuffs, sand it down and a quick flash of more primer then it's a coat of black paint and, hopefully, job's a good 'un!

To add to my list of 'to do' things one of the up-and-over garage door springs snapped today. I was happily spraying away painting parts when there was a loud 'doying' sound from the general direction of the door. I use the rear door to get into the garage, only opening the main door when I want to fire up the 200. Won't be happening for a while I can hardly raise the door halfway! The springs are 18 inches long and 2 inches wide and I haven't a clue where to get one from. Might try 6 bungee straps as a temporary measure to get the door open but it's just something else that MUST be done else my bikes are going nowhere!

James - some years ago one of the steel cables that operate my up and over garage door snapped. I was able to get a replacement cable from a local builders merchant, but the fun came when I tried to refit the spring and cable. ( My garage door was made by Westland Engineers, I do wonder if this was a side line of the helicopter works ).

I could not stretch the long spring enough by myself to be able to hook the operating cable into place. I eventually had the bright idea of using old 2p pieces wedged between the coils of the spring, kept on adding them until the spring was long enough to hook into place. Once done, as the door was opened, spring stretched even further and all the coins fell out. This trick might also be applicable to stubborn centre stand springs on bikes.

Thanks for the good idea Richard I'd really like to try that! The only trouble is my door (a Birtley. Never heard of 'em) is operated by two huge springs (600mm x 75mm) either side of the door and lots of ironwork supporting them. The springs are fully extended when the door is closed and are almost but not quite relaxed when the door is fully open. So, when I've found a matching set of springs I have to somehow open the door, which is VERY heavy with only one spring doing the work, hold it open while I prop it up with something, stick two-pence pieces into one of the springs so I can fit it and then take an angle-grinder to the other spring and do the same. Your idea of the two-pence pieces is brilliant but I think that would be the easiest part in my case. Going to give it a try though, making sure there is someone to pull me out from underneath the door when it falls on me . . . . . .

I sprayed my instrument pod last night and this morning I went to have a look and to my horror it's very shiny. I looked at the paint and yes, you've guessed it! Side by side there is a gloss black and a satin black spray can, both identical except for the words 'satin' and 'gloss' and these not very large!

I'm not in a good mood . . . . . .

EDIT: The matter has been taken out of my hands. SWMBO has said she doesn't want to have to ring A & E to get me out from underneath the door or to fix my amputated fingers caused by the springs collapsing on them so she has found a local 'garage door fixer' to come and replace the springs.

Hi all. Sorry for not posting stuff SWMBO has me felling trees and breaking my back mattocking out the stumps and planting all sorts of shrubs in the garden. In between doing this the door that has been standing up in my garage for the past 8 years has been screwed sideways onto the garage wall and the bench (old kitchen units and worktop) has been lengthened to give me more room to work. Lights have yet to be altered and tools have yet to be hung but I think by having them on the wall to hand I will be able to stop making a 5 minute job turn into a 30 minute job because it takes 25 minutes to find said tools!